Railway dry dock



J. S. CRANDALL Jan. 1, 1946.

I RAILWAY DRY DOCK 4 Sheets-Sheet l .llllllmwli' illll'llllll' INVENTOR.

Filed June 22, 1944 Jan. 1, 1946. J. s. CRANDALL RAILWAY DRY DOCK Filed June 22, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 .1 mm .n

v I N VEN TOR. MW

Jan. 1, 1946. 1 CRANDALL 2,392,081

RAILWAY DRY DOCK Filed June 22, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jab. 1, 1946.

.1. s. CRANDALL 2,392,081

RAILWAY DRY DOCK Filed June 22, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVEN TOR.

Patented Jan. 1, 1946 RAILWAY DRY DOCK James Stuart Crandall, Lexington, Mass, assignor to Crandall Dry Dock Engineers Inc., Cambridge, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Application June 22, 1944, Serial No. 541,609

11- Glaims.

This, invention; relates to improvements in railway dry 1063.

More particularly it provides improved dry docking: facilities. whereb a boat;- orhull co veniently,- and; efiiciently may be transported along he railway dry dock from a body of; water to a transfer location; on land where the boat, or hull may: be transferred to a; transfer car on which it can be moved to the entrance: toaselected; storage space, or: the boat: or hulllca'nr be: moved from the dry dock: cradle across the transfer car into a particular storagespace; Conversely theboat or hull; may be; movedj on, and: from. or across the transfer car from astorage space to, the dry dock cradle, on; which latter it: canbe transported along the, railway dry dock; from the; transfer location- 136% the; body:- orfi water...

It:v is an object of" inventiontto: provide: a longitudinal transfer car, which can he moved along longitudinal trackstarrangedi parallel to i the railway dry dock between; the latter and? lateral transfertracks, so thaethe: longitudinal transfer car can serve for moving a boat orhull from thedry dockc-radle; orfrom; particular lateral trans-- fer tracks, t lateral transfer tracks further along the longitudinal transfer tracks onto which the boat or: hull may be-moved;v Orthe-longituclinal transfer earmay constitute; aibridge across. which atboatonhull may be moved-iromzlateraltransfer t racksto the;rai lway-drydockorrfrom the railway my dock to'lateral transfer tracks.

Another object is to. proyide arailway dry. dock having the. usualplurality of rails. along. which the, dry, dock. cradle can; move but, which, at a boat-transferrlocation, hasarelatively short aux iliary. rail upon which an overhanging portion of the cradle rides and" is supported? at" the boattransfer location.

Still anotherob-ject is to employ transfer cars operable on longitudinal transfer tracks and lateral' transfertracks and track sections with a series of separate roller units: for the individual tracks-which arer movablealong:-the=trackzsrrelative to thestransferj cars riding thereon:

It 'is moreover; my: purposeandi obj ect'generally to; improve athestrueturegandj: operationiof railway drydocks and; dry clocking facilities.

Ire the: accompanying drawings;

Figures 1; andv 1a vtogether.represent in, plan a dry dock. embodying features of my invention, lateral transfer, cars and, roller units being omittedjrom, all but one pair of"latera1".tracks; for clearness of showing;

Figures 2 and2a are cross-sectional-views respectlvely on Invest- 2 and= 2a-2a-0f Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a cross-sectional: view on line 3+4- of Figure 1a, with a hull represented in full lines on thedry docls cradle-and. other hulls representedin dotted lines respectively on the longitudinal transfer car and onthe lateral transfer tracks;

Figure 4 is a plan view of alateral transfer oar;

Figure 5* is a side elevation of the car of Fig-- ure 4; I

Figure 6 is an endelevation of the car of Fig-- ures land 5; n

Figure 7 is a detail: cross-sectionalview on line l't of Figure 4, including a dotted representation of a meansfor releasably securing the: car to adeck. rail of: the railway car;

Figures 8-12 are detail views of the various roller units;

Figures 1-3 and Here detail fragmentaryviewsof the vertical wheeled support for the overhang of the drydock cradle; the" wheels riding onthe short auxiliary rail; and:

Figure: 15 is a diagrammatic plan view ofmy improved2dry docle showing the power means and: cable connections for moving the various: cars along thevarious tracks:

' Referring to 'the drawings; the:railway' drydock- !0 extends with a predeterminedinclinationfrom alocation suitably below the surface of abody-of water [2 tea looation w-ell up on-landso-that the dry dock cradle Ikmay: carry" a boat orhull Hi thereon either fromthewaterto a transferiloca tion-on land or from said transfer location: to the bodyiof' water I'Z.

The cradle l 4 preferably is :of' all steel construction-although thi -'isnot necessary so long; as it is made capable: of. accommodatingr'boatsz or hulls-of a particular predeterminedrclass aswregards dimensions and weight-ti As. represented, it is: of welded steel construction having a multiplicityof uniformlyspaced' apart; transverse deck"beams-' l8 disposed generally ini a common horizontal plane in all positions of. thercradle; andaseries 0f =-supporting-columns '2 Oiof gradually; increasingzlengths from one end" to: thezoth'eieofr; thecar; the lower ends of: the columns-having secured thereto-the two inclined runnersi22; l t-which extendipa-rallel with the railway tracks 1 B1 Between each 'runner 22; 24 and-1a track tof the railway dry-dock lit-are flanged roller units 26' which are connected toether lengthwise 'of the di'y dock; and the :cradle 14 runs on theserollerunits-Zfi which in turn 'run onthe-tracks'of the railwaydrydock Ills By; this means, Itavoid.need' for lubrioationewhile ensurin a superiori type of anti-friction: frees-rollin mount for the: cradle 14": on the railway y dock?! 0 The cradle I4 may be moved up the inclined dry dock III by any suitable means such as any well known power mechanism in the control house 28, acting through the chain or cable 30 which may be connected to the cradle I4. The cradle I4 will ride down the inclined dry dock I when chain or cable 30 is let out by the operator at the control house. 1

Lateral transfer track sections 32, of predetermined number, are mounted on the deck of cradle I4. As represented the cradle I4 has twentythree transverse deck beams I8 and a lateral track 32 extends along alternate beams I8, starting with the number one beam at the extreme left hand end of the cradle as viewed in Fig. 1. A transfer car 34 will be mounted on each pair of lateral tracks 32, or on such of the tracks as may be desired for any particular undertaking. These transfer cars preferably will be of welded all steel construction, although here again the material and structure of the transfer car may be varied so long as the cars are made capable of accommodating a particular class of boats or hulls, as regards size and weight. With a structure as herein represented, it is preferable to have six transfer cars 34, one on each pair of lateral tracks 32, each transfer car having spaced apart parallel runners 36 for running on roller units 38, comparable to the roller units 26. The bilge blocks 40, upon which the boat or hull directly rests, are mounted on the transfer cars 34 and when the boat or hull is in place on the transfer cars, it ties all of the cars together so that all of the cars 34 with the hull or boat thereon can move laterally as a unit.

In Figs. 1 through 2a, the cradle I4 is shown at the transfer location, well up on the railway dry dock I0, and opposite the series of lateral transfer tracks 50 which may have length for accommodating one or a number of boats or hulls moved thereon for storage purposes or for undergoing repairs. If desired, the boats or hulls may be constructed on these lateral transfer tracks 50 and. upon completion, or at a suitable stage of partial completion, be moved to the dry dock cradle I4 for launching.

According to the invention, however, longitudinal transfer tracks 52 intervene between the railway dry dock I0 and the lateral transfer tracks 50, and a longitudinal transfer car 54 is movable along tracks 52 between a position opposite the lateral transfer tracks 50 and a position opposite another series of lateral transfer tracks 55, constituting a second berth in which boats or hulls may be stored or repaired or constructed. Ob-

viously there may be still other berths with lateral transfer tracks 56 like those represented in Fig. 1.

It is a feature of my present invention that the longitudinal transfer car 54 serves bothas a bridge across the longitudinal transfer tracks 52, across which a boat or hull may be moved from the lateral transfer tracks 50 to the dry dock cradle I4 or from the cradle I4 to the lateral transfer tracks 50, and as a car for moving a boat or hull thereon from the transfer location opposite tracks 50 to a location opposite the tracks 56, or from the latter location to the transfer location. For this purpose, the longitudinal transfer car 54 has fer tracks 50, roller units 60 comparable with the roller units 26 and 38 on the railway dry dock are first arranged on the lateral track sections 58 and the tracks 50, after which the boat or hull,

mounted thereon the lateral track section 58 I located for registering simultaneously with the lateral transfer tracks and the lateral tracks 32 on the deck beams l8 of cradle I4 when the latter is at the transfer location of Figs. 1-2a. Hence, assuming that a boat or hull is to be moved from the dry dock cradle I4 to the lateral tra smounted on the transfer cars 34, can be rolled from the cradle I4 across the longitudinal transfer car 54 to the lateral transfer tracks 50, the boat or hull tying the transfer cars 34 together so that all of them, with the boat thereon, move as a unit. If, on the other hand, a boat or hull is to be moved from tracks 50 to the dry dock cradle I4, similar transfer cars 34 will be supportingthe boat or hull on tracks 59, as represented in dotted lines at B in Fig. 4, so that they and the boat can be moved as a unit across the longitudinal transfer car 54 to the lateral track sections 32 on the cradle I4. However, if desired, instead of moving the boat or hull across the longitudinal transfer car 54, it may be stopped on the car 54 in the dotted position marked A in Fig. 4 and be transported thereon to another berth for movement onto lateral transfer tracks 56 therein.

The longitudinal transfer tracks '52 are repre sented as three in number although two or a larger number than three may be provided without departing from the spirit and scope of my present disclosure. In any case, the track 52 adjacent the ends of the lateral transfer tracks 50, may extend relatively close to the ends of the latter tracks so that only a small overhang of the lateral track sections 58 of longitudinal transfer car 54 is required for getting substantially continuous runs of tracks 50, 58 when these are in alignment. However, it is not practicable to have the longitudinal transfer tracks '52 close enough to the railway dry dock III to avoid a substantial overhang of the transverse track sections 32 on the dry dock cradle I4. Fig. 3 shows the track sections 32 extending a. substantial distance laterally from the dry dock III into operative registration with the track sections 58 of the longitudinal transfer car 54.

According to my invention, this substantial overhang at 62 (Fig. 3) of the tracks 32 is effectively supported at the transfer location by a structure indicated generally at 64 which constitutes a part of the dry dock cradle I4 and has wheels 66 for riding on an auxiliary rail 68 extending only at the transfer location. In other words, the cradle I4 rides on the usual plurality of rails throughout the major extent of the dry dock but has the auxiliary relatively short rail 68 at the transfer location on which the wheels 66 ride as the cradle I4 approaches thetransfer location and by which, through the supporting structure 64, the overhangs 62 of track sections 32 are rigidly supported against depression when a boat or hull is being moved between the cradle I4 and the longitudinal transfer car 54. At the opposite side of the cradle, there is provided the elevated platform structure I0 which may extend along the major longitudinal extent of the cradle.

In the plan view of Figs. 1, 1a, and in Figs. 2, 2a, only one of the transfer cars 34 is shown on the dry dock cradle I4, it being understood that a similar car 34 will be on each pair of the tracks 32. Also, it should be understood that the roller units 60, represented in Fig. 1 on two only of the tracks 50 and track sections 58, would be on all of the tracks 50 and track sections 58 prior to a lateral movement of transfer cars 34 with a boat thereon to or from therailway. dry dock.

Figs. 4-7 illustrate one of the transfer cars 34 cars, means for moving the cradle and said lateral transfer cars with a boat thereon as a unit to said boat-transfer location, and means for moving said lateral transfer cars with the boat thereon as a unit from said cradle and across said longitudinal transfer car to said lateral transfer tracks.

3. A railway dry dock comprising longitudinal tracks extending on a predetermined incline between a body of water and a boat-transfer location on land, a cradle movable along said railway between said body of water and said boat-transfer location, lateral transfer tracks at said boat-transfer location, longitudinal transfer tracks between the railway dry dock and the lateral transfer tracks, a longitudinal transfer car movable along said longitudinal transfer tracks, lateral transfer track sections on the said cradle and on the said longitudinal transfer car adapted to be brought into alignment with said lateral transfer tracks, lateral transfer cars on said lateral transfer track sections of the cradle, releasable means for securing said lateral transfer cars against movement relative to the cradle to facilitate reception of a boat on said lateral transfer cars, means for moving the cradle and said lateral transfer cars with a boat thereon as a unit to said boat-transfer location, means for moving said lateral transfer cars with a boat thereon as a unit from said cradle to said longitudinal transfer car, and means for moving said longitudinal transfer car with the boat thereon longitudinally away from said boat-transfer location.

4. A railway drydockcomprising longitudinal tracks extending on a predetermined incline between a body of water and a boat-transfer location on land, a cradle movable along said tracks between said body of water and said boat-transfer location, lateral transfer tracks at said boattransfer location, longitudinal transfer tracks be-.

tween the railway dry dock and the lateral transfer tracks, a longitudinal transfer car movable along said longitudinal transfer tracks, lateral transfer track sections on the said cradle and on the said longitudinal transfer car adapted to be brought into alignment with said lateral transfer tracks, lateral transfer cars on said lateral transfer tracks for holding a boat thereon, and means for moving said lateral transfer cars with a boat thereon as a unit laterally across said longitudinal transfer car and onto said lateral transfer track sections of the cradle.

5. A railway dry dock comprising longitudinal 7 tracks extending on a predetermined incline between a body of water and a boat-transfer location on land, a cradle movable along said tracks between said body of Water and said boat-transfer location, lateral transfer tracks at said boattransfer location, longitudinal transfer tracksbetween the railway dry dock and the lateral transfer tracks, a longitudinal transfer car movable along said longitudinal transfer tracks, lateral transfer track sections on said cradle and on the said longitudinal transfer car adapted to be brought into alignment with said lateral transfer tracks, lateral transfer cars on said lateral transfer tracks for holding a boat thereon, means for moving said lateral transfer cars with a boat thereon as a unit onto said lateral transfer track sections of the longitudinal transfer car, and means for moving the longitudinal transfer car with the boat thereon longitudinally away from said boat-transfer location.

6. A railway dry dock comprising longitudinal tions on the cradle having substantial overhang bridging the major portion of the space between the railway dry dock and the longitudinal transfer tracks, a relatively short auxiliary rail located under the said bridging portions of the lateral transfer track sections of the cradle when the latter is at said boat-transfer location, and supports on the cradle extending between said bridging portions of the lateral transfer track sections of the cradle and said auxiliary rail, adapted to ride on said auxiliary rail at said boat-transfer location.

7. A railway dry dock comprising a plurality of tracks, longitudinal transfer tracks beside and spaced from the railway dry dock, a cradle movable along the dry dock tracks, a longitudinal transfer car movable along the longitudinal transfer tracks, lateral transfer track sections on said cradle and on said car adapted to be brought into mutual alignment, said lateral transfer track sections of the cradle bridging the major portion of the space between the railway dry dock and the longitudinal transfer tracks, a relatively short auxiliary rail for the cradle extending under the said bridging portions of the lateral transfer track sections of the cradle at a boat-transfer location, and means on the cradle extending between said rail and said bridging portions of the lateral transfer track sections of the cradle and adapted to ride on said auxiliary rail at said boat-transfer location.

8. A railway dry dock comprising a plurality of tracks, longitudinal transfer tracks beside the dry dock tracks, lateral transfer tracks extending from the longitudinal transfer tracks at the side thereof remote from the railway dry dock, means movable along said lateral transfer tracks and adapted to hold a boat, and means for moving said boat holding means with a boat thereon across said longitudinal transfer car from said lateral transfer tracks to said railway dry dock.

9. A railway dry dock comprising a plurality of tracks, lateral transfer tracks at a boat-transfer location along the dry dock, other lateral transfer tracks remote from said boat-transfer location, longitudinal transfer tracks adjacent to the ends of the lateral transfer tracks and between the latter said tracks and the railway dry clock, a cradle movable along the dry dock tracks to and from said boat-transfer location, a longitudinal transfer car movable along said longitudinal transfer tracks to and from said boattransfer location, and lateral boat-holding transfer cars movable to and from said cradle laterally across said longitudinal transfer car at said boattransfer location.

10. A railway dry dock comprising a plurality of tracks, lateral transfer tracks at a boat-transfer location along the dry dock, other lateral transfer tracks remote from said boat-transfer location, longitudinal transfer tracks adjacent to the ends of the lateral transfer tracks and between the latter said tracks and the railway dry dock, a cradle movable along the dry dock tracks to and from said boat-transfer location, a longitudinal transfer car movable along said longitudinal transfer tracks to and from said boat-transfer location, and lateral boat-holding transfer cars movable to and from said lateral transfer tracks laterally across said longitudinal transfer car at said boat-transfer location.

11. A railway dry dock comprising a plurality sections thereon, said cradle being movable along the dry dock tracks to and from a boat-transfer location, lateral transfer tracks at said boattransfer location but having their ends spaced a substantial distance from the ends of said lateral 15 'of tracks, a cradle having lateral transfer track 10 

